Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and Niccolo Machiavelli were two important leaders and philosophers from two different time periods. Martin Luther King was a strong and respected leader who preached against segregation and racism during the civil rights era. Niccolo Machiavelli was an Italian diplomat and political philosopher known for his political views and writings. Though King and Machiavelli were known as philosophers, their views on certain topics could not be more different. Machiavelli believed that being vicious and ruthless in order to obtain a desired outcome is acceptable. On the other side, King believed that someone should do everything in their power to reach a moral goal, without acting in a violent manner. King's non violent direct action might not be the same as Machiavelli's ruthless beliefs, but King's idea of breaking the law to end segregation constitutes a Machiavellian argument. In Letter from Birmingham Jail King addresses the need for non violent direct action and how it could end the fight against segregation. King states, “since we so diligently urge people to obey the Supreme Court's decision of 1954 outlawing segregation in the public schools, it is rather strange and paradoxical to find us consciously breaking laws” (Austin 207). By breaking the law to reach a just and moral goal was Machiavellian on King's part because he was doing what it took to achieve the end of segregation. Though King is against breaking the law he knew that needed to be done for segregation to end and that called for ignoring unjust laws by non violent direct action. King justifies what it takes to reach a moral goal, and how it does not have to be through Sam 2

violence. King preaches that “non violence demands that the means we use must be as pure as the ends we seek” (Austin 216). This means that using immoral means to acquire moral ends is unsuitable. King also says “it is just wrong, or even more so, to use moral means to preserve immoral ends” (Austin...

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...﻿MartinLutherKingMartinLutherKing was an extremely inspirational individual, a humanitarian, civil rights activist in fact. He led the Montgomery Bus Boycott in 1955, helped CSLC in 1957, helped to organise the March on Washington 1963 in which he presented his ‘I Have a Dream’ speech gaining his reputation as one of the greatest orators in American history.
King, born son of ReverendMartinLutherKing Sr. spent most of his early life within church, singing amongst the choir in 1939. He attended Booker T. Washington High school, and then attended Morehouse College without officially graduating school. Then graduated from Crozer Theological Seminary with a Bachelor of Divinity degree 1951 furthermore, gaining his Doctor of Philosophy in 1955, achieving an intelligent and large amount of qualifications which, within the time zone, was extremely unusual as segregation was large within America, specifically, the Deep South.
King was one of many leaders yet, what made King so highly respected and celebrated was his passion for change. King is mainly remembered due to his inspirational speeches ‘I Have a Dream’ for example, which he presented during the civil rights march on 1963, Washington of August. In which, he gained respect and admiration from people of all races, being referred to...

...﻿ Trushel 01
Elizabeth Trushel
Professor Martin
English 101-03
Sept 3, 2014
MartinLutherKingMartinLutherKing was an awe inspiring individual for any period of time. He practiced the teachings of Ghandi. He knew what he believed in and went after it with his whole heart and being. His letter “Letter From Birmingham Jail” gives me goosebumps. The fact that it was mostly written in the margins of newspppers an smuggles out it truly amazing!! MartinLutherKing is an example and inspiration in excellence for all who care to look.
He was born in Atlanta Georgia on January 15, 1929 to Reverend MartinLutherKing Sr. and Alberta Williams King. He was the middle child. He has an older sister, Willie Christine King and a younger brother Algred Danile Williams King. He sang choir at the 1939 Atlanta premiere of the movie Gone With The Wind.
He suffered from depression as a child and teenager, and after the death of his grandmother, blaming himself, he attempted suicide, by jumping out of a 2nd story window, thankfully for us he survived.
Trushel 02
He also had many doubts with the Christian claims. At the age of 13 he denied the resurrection of Jesus during Sunday School. Form here on in he stated “doubts...

...﻿
Analysis: MartinLuther King’s “Letter from Birmingham Jail”
In April of 1963 MartinLutherKing was arrested during a nonviolent demonstration in Birmingham, Alabama. While incarcerated, he came across a public statement, “A Call for Unity” made by eight white clergymen in attempt to criticize his work and ideas. It was then that MartinLutherKing wrote his rebuttal “Letter from Birmingham Jail”, using rhetorical appeals to not only under mind the clergymen’s statement, but their moral sense and obligation in the eyes of God. Upon doing so; Dr. King quotes St. Augustine when he said, “I would be the first to advocate obeying just laws. One has not only a legal, but moral responsibility to obey just laws. Conversely, one has a moral responsibility to disobey unjust law.”( Bloom, Smith 499)
As we analyze Dr. Kings letter we observe the way he conveyed his message by using what the clergymen said to present his counter argument. In the clergymen’s statement, they distinguished MartinLutherKing as an outsider and called his actions unwise and untimely. Dr. King then sets the foundation of his letter and identifies what was said by saying,” I came across your recent statement calling my present activities “unwise and untimely”, and I should indicate...

...against the violation of human rights were through nonviolent protest and fasting. These actions lead to Gandhi’s imprisonment from 1922 to 1924. Because of his revolutionary ideologies, India was liberated from British rule. On January 30, 1948 Gandhi was assassinated. Gandhi’s philosophy of ahimsa is useful because it shed insight on the letter written by Dr. MartinLutherKing years later. Dr. King was imprisoned as a participant in non-violent demonstrations against segregation. From the Birmingham jail, Dr. king wrote a letter in response to a public statement of concern by white religious leader of the South. In this letter, he urges his fellow black brothers to participate in non-violent actions in order to be successful. There are various similarities between Gandhi and Dr. King. Some examples include the importance of acting without violence, the necessity of breaking laws if they are deemed unjust, and the dedication of their lives to helping people reach equality. Both men were strong leaders and their legacy will live on forever. It is so important to realize that the ideas that both Gandhi and Dr. King echo one another through their philosophies.
The following of laws by the people is important for any government to function properly. Law is defined as the system of rules that a particular country recognized as regulating the actions of its...

...Smith, Jessica
October 16, 2012
Moral Decisions
In life there are always either negative or positive consequences when an action is made. In MartinLutherKing Jr.’s essay “Letter from Birmingham Jail,” he evaluates how one can advocate breaking some laws and obeying others. The reason it is possible to do such a thing is because there are two different types of laws, just and unjust. Depending on one’s morals, it can be morally right to advocate breaking some laws and obeying others. Since there are consequences of breaking and/or following laws, it can be considered as negative or positive. It is an individual’s moral responsibility to disobey unjust law. According to St. Augustine, “If a law does not uplift a human personality it is to be considered immoral,” which leads to the law of segregation. In the time of segregation, Black Americans lived in misery and fear.
One must consider where morals come from in order to determine if it is morally right to break or follow unjust and just laws. Everyone knows that morals vary from person to person. In order to understand why morals vary from person to person, one must know what morality is. According to Logical and Critical Thinking website, morality is the belief or recognition that certain behaviors are either “good” or “bad”. The website also stated that morals are very easy to accept and only the fringes of society might question or reject them. In King’s essay...

...government systems, revolutions and other movements. During the Civil Rights Movement, MartinLutherKing chose to take that role to solve the unjust oppression that was occurring. King possessed the characteristics of a great leader; believing in equality, non-violent civil disobedience and a strong call to action. Through these, King was able to be a successful leader to the oppressed and had a strong influence across the world.
The drive of the Civil Rights Movement was the segregation and prejudice that minorities faced. King writes “A Letter from Birmingham Jail” expressing his desire to end the injustice being caused by racism and prejudice. During this time, authority figures and leaders supported segregation and unfair treatment of minorities. Jean-Jacques Rousseau states that everyone person is “born free, their liberty belongs to them, and no one but themselves has a right to dispose of it”(63). King fights for this idea, the idea that these minorities should not feel oppressed, inferior, or prejudiced. King writes about personal experiences as a way to describe the effects of unjust racism. He describes the feelings of inferiority that his daughters form from segregation. King is able to have such a strong influence and be a great leader because he is driven by the idea of equality for all.
King makes the statement that...

...Ethos, Pathos & Logos in Dr. MartinLuther King's
"Letter from Birmingham Jail"
LOGOS
Logos is an appeal to our logic or reasoning. It is a presentation of the
logical relationships between and the reasoning for a particular position.
Simply stated, logos is the setting forth of the reasoning behind a position
or action. In our scientific world, many times logos involves statistics.
Dr. King appeals to our logic when he gives the reasoning for his statement "I
have almost reached the regrettable conclusion that the Negro's great
stumbling block in his stride toward freedom is not the White Citizen's
Counciler or the Klu Klux Klanner, but the white moderate, who is more devoted
to 'order' than to justice" (719). His reasoning includes the fact that the
white moderate does not seem to recognize "that law and order exist for the
purpose of establishing justice," that the tension in the South is there due
to segregation, that the tension will erupt into violence if it is not the
source of a transition to equality, and that to ask Negroes to "passively
accept" the indignities of segregation is to deny them their "dignity and
worth" as a human being (719-720).
Another type of appeal to logic is more implicit. It asks readers to see into
the presented facts. In quoting an elderly black woman, "My feets is tired but
my soul is at rest" (727), Dr. King makes such an...

...Social Studies 8A
4/27/10
MartinLutherKing Jr.
MartinLutherKing Jr. is a well known and an inspiring man to all cultures of the world. King was and still is one of the most influential heroes. King's views and believes helped African Americans through the 50's and 60's to the rights and liberties that was their right. King faced many obstacles on his journey, things like jail and even assassination attempts. Despite these obstacles, he became a successful leader during the Civil Rights Movement and after his death, by guiding African Americans in a non-violent and positive direction for the fight to secure rights and equality for blacks. MartinLutherKing Jr. was born on January 15th, 1929 in Atlanta, Georgia. His father was a Baptist minister and his mom was a schoolteacher. At a very young age he was growing up to be a very smart boy. At the age of five, he was already in first grade but once his teacher found out his real age, he was expelled from school. King finished high school at Morehouse in Atlanta. In June of 1948 he graduated with a BA in Sociology from college. In May 1951, he graduated Cruzer with a bachelor in Divinity. He went on to Boston University where he studied systematic theology as a graduate student. (“Africa Within”) In 1954, Martin...